Every day, thousands of tourists shop around the world. For small trinkets and souvenirs, as a rule, they pay several times more than they actually cost. This is not surprising, because tourists want to preserve the memory of an unforgettable vacation, so they are ready to lay out decent amounts of money even for the most useless things. However, not everyone knows that today there is a system for returning part of the cost of the purchased product. More precisely, this is a tax that in different countries of the world is added to the initial cost of a particular thing. Moreover, it can be up to 20%. It is this part of the tourist and can get back.
This procedure is called "Tax Free." In Moscow and other cities, tourists can return part of the purchase price to themselves without unnecessary hassle. However, not everyone knows what is needed for this. Consider this procedure in more detail. Find out where you can get the "Tax Free" in Moscow, at the airport or at the border.
What is Tax Free
"Tax Free" is an international system of VAT refunds in the event that a tourist made quite large purchases outside his country. This is logical, because a foreigner is not required to pay taxes in the country where he is only a few weeks.
Where can I get a Tax Free in Moscow? Today there are many points of issue, the largest of which are Global Blue Refund, which has opened more than 270 thousand VAT refund offices, and Premier Tax Free. Points of the latter are also located in most major cities of Russia, including the capital.
For example, where to get “Tax Free” from “Premier” in Moscow? To do this, you must contact the bank, which is a partner of this organization. Today, the Czech-Russian Bank is cooperating with Premier Tax Free. Also, two more organizations are working with both systems (Premier and Global Blue): Master Bank and SMP Bank. Turning to them, the tourist can get back part of the money spent. Moreover, their size will depend on the VAT of the country in which purchases were made.
Basic conditions
To get a “Tax Free” in Moscow, a tourist must meet certain requirements:
- Not to be a citizen of the state in which he previously made purchases.
- The sum of all purchases must exceed a certain limit (depending on the host country).
- Purchases should be carried out exclusively in stores in which the VAT refund system is connected.
If a tourist meets these requirements, he can contact the Czech-Russian Bank at 27 Lobachevsky Street. The branch is open until 18:00 during the week and until 17:00 on weekends. You can also visit the "Master Bank", located on the street Lower Syromyatnicheskaya, house 1/4. In addition, tourists can receive a refund at the branch of SMP Bank at 71 Sadovnicheskaya Street. In order to make a payment not at the head office, but at the nearest branch, it is recommended that you first call the organization and clarify whether there is a similar operation .
To get a “Tax Free” in Moscow, it’s worth understanding the sequence of actions that must be performed to return part of the money.
Product purchase
Before purchasing the goods, it is worth checking with the seller whether they are partners of the Tax Free system. This can also be indicated by the corresponding sticker, which can be found next to the cash register in the store.
When purchasing goods, you must show the seller your travel passport or a copy of it and ask him to fill out the necessary form. The seller must enter the passport details of the buyer in the document and attach the sales receipt to the paper. After that, a special code will be assigned to purchases, according to which it will be possible to specify the status of the expected VAT payment. Next, it remains to go through customs and determine where to get the “Tax Free” in Moscow. Let's consider in more detail.
Customs clearance
Before passing the customs inspection, the tourist must tell the staff about his intention to receive a chargeback. After that, the customs officer puts the appropriate mark on the check. If the tourist forgets this stamp, then it will be impossible to receive a chargeback.
Is it possible to return Tax Free at the airport
Being in the international zone, the tourist can find the return points "Tax Free." As a rule, at offices performing such operations, usually indicated Cash Refund or Tax Refund.
If you can’t get “Tax Free” from “Global” in Moscow or another city because the tourist lives in a region where there are no corresponding points of issue, then you should wander around the airport and look for Premium or Global offices. In this case, the cashier will issue a chargeback immediately.
To receive non-cash funds on a debit card, you must fill out a special application in which you want to enter your details. However, it should be borne in mind that in this case, payment will be possible only a few months after the execution of this document.
If there is no time for this procedure, and the tourist is late for the next plane, there is another way to get VAT on purchases. To do this, just ask the customs officer or Tax Free representative for a special envelope on which the Global Blue logo will be indicated. It will be necessary to enclose all checks and forms issued at customs and in the store. After that, it will be enough to send the envelope by mail to the office of the company. In this case, you don’t have to puzzle over where to get the Tax Free from Global Blue in Moscow, as the money will be credited directly.
Return Tax Free in Russia
Tourists can not always quickly find their bearings at the airport when transferring to another flight. In this case, in Moscow or another city, it is enough to visit banks that cooperate with the international system (discussed above) and receive a chargeback.
It is worth paying attention to one important nuance. Some argue that you can get a "Tax Free" in the offices of "VTB-24." In fact, this is outdated information. This bank did make such payments earlier, however, this practice was suspended in 2011.
When contacting a bank branch that does issue cash for purchases, it is necessary to provide employees with checks with customs marks, a passport and a passport. After that, the necessary application is filled out, and the tourist receives money at the box office. The procedure takes about 15 minutes.
However, it should be borne in mind that when receiving money through the bank you will have to pay a commission for the operation. Its size depends on the particular bank. For example, in the FCRB the commission is 2.5 euros per 1 check. Upon receipt of a chargeback, “Master Bank” or “NSR” will be charged from 1% to 3% of the total payment amount.
If the chargeback amount is more than 100 euros, then the procedure may take up to 3 days. This is necessary so that bank employees check the accuracy of all data.
What to do for those traveling by car
If tourists travel across Europe in a personal car, they can also count on a VAT refund. In this case, it is enough to present checks and the rest to the paper when crossing the EU border. However, when visiting several countries at once, some travelers are confused about this issue.
Suppose a tourist travels to Russia from Germany, while crossing the borders of Hungary or Austria. In this case, he must put a stamp on the check at the customs office not of the country in which he made the purchase, but at the last border checkpoint in front of the Russian Federation.
Quite often, there are Tax Free points at the border. They can also receive cash immediately.
If a tourist travels by train
Some travelers choose the romance of the railway. At European stations, cash-out points for checks are set up, but sometimes it is difficult to find them.
It is much more convenient to contact your local customs office and provide your employees with a passport, train tickets and checks. In this case, you can get the necessary stamp on the documents.
Some trains have Tax Free employees who work directly on the road.
If a tourist travels by sea
If travelers choose a ferry as a transport, then before departure they need to contact the customs office of the port of departure. There you can get the necessary stamp or find the point of issue of Cash Refunds.
Useful
If a tourist wants to get a "Tax Free" in Moscow, then it is worth considering one important nuance: do not postpone the VAT refund in a long box. The fact is that the validity of checks is limited depending on the country in which purchases were made. Therefore, it is recommended to contact the bank or the point of issue of chargebacks no later than 3 months from the date of purchase. It should also be borne in mind that the bank may delay the transfer, so the best option is to visit the cash issuing office within a few weeks after returning to your home country.